I Became a Mythical-Tier Tamer Due To A System Error Chapter 114
Yggdrasil Student Council Vice President’s Office.
Jed Rubin stared at the documents on the desk.
He read.
Read.
And read again.
「Elyseon Chivalric Association Imperial Hospital」
「Patient Jed Sehara – Treatment Approval」
Thanks to the knighthood personally bestowed by the Princess and the nobles who stepped forward to support Rubin, the matter proceeded faster than expected.
If only two more days passed, Rubin’s younger sister would be able to receive treatment at the Imperial Hospital.
Her body, blackened and corroded, would be cleansed completely.
……But a heavy memory lingered in one corner of his heart.
He recalled a few days ago, when he had visited his sister.
He had already hinted to her that she would soon be moved to a ward in the Capital Hospital.
And yet, though she had not even begun treatment, her face had been full of life.
……The reason was that she had learned from the Academy Newspaper that Rubin was the Black Knight.
Since then, had some inner change arisen?
His sister, who had only thought of death from suffering, had found a will to live.
“My brother being the Black Knight makes me so proud. I’ll try to endure too. Once I’m cured, I’ll study for the entrance exam to Yggdrasil.”
“……”
Rubin opened his mouth, but in the end, he could not say a word.
He only patted her head silently.
He did not have the conscience to keep pretending to be the Black Knight even in front of his sister.
‘Someday…… someday she will realize that I’m a fraud.’
He had committed corruption, and impersonated a hero.
Once the truth was revealed…… the betrayal and loss his sister would feel would be immeasurable.
Rubin shook his head.
‘……No. For now, I must only think of her treatment. She must survive first.’
Yes.
How long had he desperately wished for this day to come?
Now was the time to rejoice, not to worry.
……But his joy did not last long.
“Vice President Rubin!”
Bang―!
Two students burst through the door in a hurry, badges of the Student Council gleaming on their chests.
“Vice President Rubin, Her Highness the Princess……!”
At the mention of “Princess,” Rubin’s eyes turned cold, as if sensing danger.
“Her Highness has attempted to impeach Vice President Rubin!”
The words made Rubin’s mind spin.
The very Princess who had granted him a noble title as the Black Knight?
“……The Princess? Princess Arlhardt reported me?”
“Yes, there must be some mistake.”
“Surely those jealous of Vice President Rubin incited Her Highness!”
“……”
Drowned in confusion, Rubin could not even hear the words around him.
It felt as if his blood were boiling in reverse.
‘How could it come to this…….’
Had they already discovered it?
Even though the Princess herself had granted him knighthood, there were still many who did not believe Rubin was the Black Knight.
Among them was none other than President Adin.
That was why Rubin had planned to deal with Adin first and devour the Student Council……
‘Now the staged terror incident means nothing.’
Everything had gone wrong.
“For now, Chancellor Tot’s mediation has postponed the impeachment. Since President Adin’s impeachment is being processed at the same time.”
“……Thanks for the information. I need to think, so leave me alone.”
As Rubin gave a faint smile, the students all withdrew.
Left alone in the room, click―! Rubin clenched his teeth.
‘What do I do now?’
Fortunately, he had already filed impeachment papers against Adin, pinning his corruption onto him.
But this was nothing more than a stopgap.
Rubin instinctively felt it.
His time was extremely short.
The moment proof emerged that he was not the real Black Knight, the Princess would strip him of his title.
Not only would he be imprisoned for corruption and impersonation, but his sister’s treatment would vanish like smoke.
‘……No matter what, I must endure this.’
Losing his title didn’t matter.
Even if all his property was confiscated, he didn’t care.
But his sister—she must live.
As he wrestled with chaotic thoughts, determined to endure until her treatment began……
……the door to the Vice President’s Office suddenly burst open.
“V–Vice President Rubin!”
Like before, the secretary of the Student Council cried out in a panic.
Rubin could no longer keep up a kindly face.
Unknowingly, he frowned and sighed as he spoke.
“Secretary. I distinctly asked you to leave.”
“Ah, that is……!”
Before the student could finish speaking, click, click.
Soft footsteps echoed down the hallway, drawing closer as if knocking against his heart.
The cadet who had opened the door instantly fell to one knee, bowing his head toward the approaching presence.
From the dark shadows of the corridor, a figure gradually emerged.
Golden hair cascaded down, radiating a gentle halo.
Warm as the morning sunlight, yet exuding an aura no one could dare approach.
Her emerald eyes, clear as a tranquil lake, gazed upon Vice President Rubin.
“Vice President Rubin.”
Princess Arlhardt.
Her calm voice rang quietly, and Rubin unconsciously held his breath.
“This is Jed Rubin, Your Highness.”
Rubin immediately rose from his chair, knelt on one knee before the Princess, and bowed his head.
His pupils, directed toward the floor, trembled.
Why here?
Could it be… she came to strip his title herself?
No, not yet……!
Just then, a drop of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
“I have a proposal for you.”
The Princess presented Rubin with a choice he had never expected.
Yggdrasil Livestock Shed.
In the still of night, I warmed myself before a campfire.
‘As expected.’
I tossed the document I had read into the flames.
It was a letter from Nixie.
It said that although the Princess had presented evidence and confronted Chancellor Tot, she had failed to impeach the Vice President.
‘……I roughly expected this, but so it came to pass.’
Lahan was backing Rubin.
‘There’s no helping it. Now the only way is to fight Rubin directly.’
I wasn’t worried.
I was certain Lahan’s underlings would not go so far as to fight for Rubin.
‘After all, Rubin isn’t even one of their comrades.’
They might have recruited Rubin as an ally, but of course, he was not truly a comrade.
He was nothing more than a chess piece, replaceable at any time.
‘Moreover, if the masterminds used their abilities, the professors would sense their mana.’
Lahan had spent years posing as Ruber’s assistant, parasitizing inside the Academy with the aim of slowly infiltrating the leadership.
If all that effort to infiltrate vanished, not only would their plans collapse, but the professors would rush in and erase them.
Unless they wished to die, they would not risk destroying their plans and their lives just to attack me.
‘Lahan is highly methodical and calculating.’
He would actually stop his reckless subordinates from acting rashly.
‘Still, for Rubin to be so cornered that he would even impersonate me.’
Why did Rubin impersonate me, why try to steal my merits?
I could guess the reason.
‘I understand his desperate circumstances. But reality is never so forgiving.’
It wasn’t that I found Rubin contemptible and wanted to discipline him.
No matter what corruption he committed, no matter if he pretended to be the Black Knight to reap recognition his whole life, honestly, I didn’t care.
It was only because his actions strayed too far from the rightful path that I stood in his way.
‘Then…… how should I crush him?’
There were two ways.
The first was to lead the Black Knights and launch a surprise attack on the Student Council.
‘Originally, I had recruited strong figures like Torono and Gelhart for this route…….’
The Student Council executives were among the strong.
I had chosen my members with the possibility of clashing in mind.
‘But this is little more than a gamble.’
If the battle dragged on, professors would intervene to protect the cadets, and I could be attacked.
‘Rubin is a student of the Academy, while the Black Knight hides his identity.’
They might even brand me as the impostor and attacker.
‘And besides…… even Curio has infiltrated as one of my members.’
Not just Curio.
Even “Narrow-eyed Luga,” one of the strongest of the strong, could be among them.
That was why, upon realizing Curio had infiltrated my ranks, I refrained from summoning the Black Knights.
I must avoid drawing them into battle.
‘Yes, no matter how I think of it, the risk is too great.’
I erased the first choice from my mind.
‘So only the second option remains.’
Slowly, I rose from my seat.
When I stretched my hand into the air, a black card slipped between my fingers.
At that moment, darkness swallowed me whole.
I did not hesitate.
With the moonlight at my back, I cut through the wind and dashed into the shadows.
‘Yes, the second choice is…….’
To receive the Princess’s aid.
Curio delivered a letter to the Princess.
……It was from the Black Knight.
The content was brief.
He wished to duel Rubin, wagering their chivalry.
If that duel took place, Rubin’s impersonation would be revealed completely, and impeachment would follow.
The Princess chose to accept that request, and so she headed for the Vice President’s Office.
“I have a proposal for you. Raise your head, Rubin.”
As the Princess spoke, Rubin slowly lifted his head.
“A new person has appeared, claiming to be the Black Knight. He asked me to arrange a duel with you.”
Rubin’s eyes widened.
He couldn’t utter a single word.
“Rubin. You will need a chance to prove you truly are the Black Knight.”
Indeed.
As the Princess said, proof was necessary.
Even if it were just to endure for a few more days, or months.
Even a small proof was essential.
“Will you accept the proposal?”
At the Princess’s words, Rubin’s heart pounded.
……The stage had been set.
Was his opponent truly the Black Knight?
Or, like Rubin, merely another impostor who had stolen the name?
“……I will.”
Rubin already stood with his back against the wall.
After finishing work at the livestock shed, I lay down on the grass and watched the evening glow.
The sky, dyed in golden light, was slowly darkening.
Baa!
Three lambs bumped their heads against my shoulder.
Rather than pain, it felt like a tender request.
They were asking me to pat them.
Their little bodies rubbed against me to convey that feeling, and I found myself smiling without meaning to.
I stroked the sheep and drifted into thought.
……Rubin had accepted the duel.
The duel was set for tomorrow at a small ring near the Student Council Hall.
‘Rubin was the third strongest among the second-years.’
He counted among considerable fighters on Gelhart’s level.
‘His bloodline was royal in the first place, wasn’t it? Although the country collapsed seven years ago, and when they fled to the Empire they became little different from commoners.’
The royal bloodline of the Hetarion Kingdom that perished seven years ago.
His ability had been recognized, and in no time he had risen to the position of Student Council Vice President.
‘Yes, he was by no means an easy opponent.’
However.
I had faced people stronger than that Rubin.
Besides, I knew Rubin’s movements, habits, and fighting style—every combat tactic—so I felt no fear.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
‘A bomb beetle infused with an enhancement potion……’
According to the information Curio had brought, Rubin possessed an enhancement potion in his hand.
That could act as a major variable.
‘Right, since this didn’t appear in the game, I can’t know much about it…….’
Ruber’s enhancement potion was supposed to be used in the main exam arc that followed this Student Council sub-episode.
‘But it has been moved up a stage…….’
I could not predict how it would be used.
‘Since it was made by Ruber, the greatest mage and scholar, its performance would surely be assured.’
Ruber had created it for research, but for some reason it had fallen into the villain’s possession.
If a villain exploited it, it became quite dangerous.
If a desperate Rubin actively used a bomb beetle dosed with that potion…… I could not guarantee my victory.
‘Not easy in many ways.’
Before I knew it, the sky had darkened.
Baa!
Just as I was about to get up, the lambs cried out in unison.
Their sound seemed to say I shouldn’t leave, so I sighed and sat back down.
As if waiting for that, the lambs burrowed into my arms.
“Hey, how long do you expect me to keep petting you? It’s night, you know, and I have a life too.”
Baa!
At the lamb’s adamant cry, I shook my head and reached out my hand.
“All right, this is the last time.”
I petted the three lambs in turn, feeling warm body heat through their soft fur and seeing the rapturous expression on their faces, as if they had just returned from paradise.
“Is it really that good?”
Baa!
When a lamb answered as much, several system messages overlapped like a bug and suddenly popped up in my view.
The sheep are happy!
The sheep are happy!
The sheep are happy!
The sheep want to follow you!
New system manifestation!
“……Huh?”
I halted and stared at the word ‘manifestation’.
Bzzzz—.
A faint, weary vibration like a small motor whirred.
It sounded small but continuous.
‘……A bee?’
At the rather abrupt appearance, I blinked.
A chubby, cute bumblebee buzzed into view.
‘What the—bees fly at night?’
Bees were not basically nocturnal.
Because bees had compound eyes, they could not adapt well to darkness and were weak in the dark.
At night, petals closed and the temperature dropped drastically.
‘There’s no reason for a bee to fly at night. So why……?’
At that moment, as if answering my question, a new system message appeared before my eyes.
A bee friend wants to follow you!
Wing~! Will you be my friend?
“……What is this?”